Effects Of Juveniles Prosecuted As An Adult

3064 words - 12 pages

According to Street Law, a juvenile is any person who is not yet an adult. In most states and the District of Columbia, individuals under 18 years of age are considered juveniles. The District of Columbia along with most states in the United States view any person under the age of 18 that has committed a crime as a juvenile criminal. Acts of a juvenile crime include but are not limited to: truancy, smoking, drinking, theft, rape, murder, defiance towards parents or guardian, etc. A juvenile criminal can only be held in a juvenile institution until the age of 21, no matter how gruesome their offense may have been.
An illegal act that is committed by an adult, which is any person over the age of eighteen, is considered a crime. Acts such as disobedience, truancy, running away from home, smoking, and drinking are not considered as crimes for adults. Adult criminals receive public trials unlike delinquents or juvenile criminals. Adult criminals may receive sentencing such as life in prison or death, if suitable depending upon the nature of crime committed. Documented criminal acts committed by adults are often permanent, public records unlike the documented criminal acts committed by juveniles. Juvenile records are sometimes sealed for public records or dismissed.
The theory that juveniles are not mature enough to intentionally commit a crime has been around since the development of psychology as a science. In the 18th century, the authors of the English criminal code concluded that children, younger than seven had not acquired the mental ability to commit a crime such as murder, rape, burglary, etc. These experts used the following acts to determine if a crime committed was criminal or non-criminal: (1) The commission of the crime itself, (2) the intent to commit the crime, and (3) the interaction between the act and the intent to commit it. According to Marcovitz (2012), it has been cited that these factors led the British to their conclusion that youths were incapable of committing criminal acts. Since then, these principles have been adopted by American law makers.
There are no national standards that declare the exact age at when a defendant knows right from wrong; however, states have adopted a variety of laws declaring the age of criminal responsibility. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have set eighteen as the age of criminal responsibility; however, most defendants, seventeen or younger may be tried in juvenile courts. Some states such as Wisconsin, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois set their minimum age for criminal acts at sixteen. Despite that fact, that states set individual ages for juveniles to be to tried as an adult for the crime committed, it is accurate to note that juveniles can and have been tried as adults when under the minimum age within the state law.
In many cases judges or prosecutors can use waivers to have juveniles tried as adults, depending upon the nature of the crime committed....

Find Another Essay On Effects of Juveniles Prosecuted as an Adult

1139 words - 5 pages
Study Skills: Managing Time as an Adult Learner
Introduction
The process of gaining an education is not as rigid as it once was.There was once a time where some people believed that only a certain age group could attend college. However, people now view learning as a more continuous process that anyone can partake in. The emergence and popularity of the Internet have allowed many online schools to open like American Public University. As a

1135 words - 5 pages
is to reward themselves for their accomplishments, because they have reached a goal of completing something.
When an adult decides to go back to colleges they have to consider all of the responsibilities that they carry in their life. They are already short on time just trying to balance things such as their family, jobs, and home, so being familiar with the different tools that can help them manage their time is one of the main keys to

1454 words - 6 pages
leaders and their functions are extremely important.While the need to be an educated adult is seldom debated, defining the characteristics of this type of person is tricky. Traditionally, an educated adult has been viewed as a person who is well read in classic literature and knowledgeable in western philosophy. (Denby, 1997) Other's call a person who has the qualities of career readiness, leadership, social responsibility, intercultural

1197 words - 5 pages
physical and social aspect of the environment to adapt, learn, and retain information for the benefit of society(personal communication, July 25, 2009).Spiritual DevelopmentThe interviewee says she had a happy childhood, she definitely felt loved; one of her happiest childhood memories is the traditional Christmas celebration. She counts her turning points as an adult when she starts searching for a husband and wanting to become a mother. She said

1635 words - 7 pages
adult-like. His mature perspective on things, his rational approach on surviving, and how he acts like a conscientious father, proves how Piggy is the adult figure on the island. Without Piggy on the island, the boys probably would have turned to savagery much sooner, resulting in more deaths. In Lord of the Flies, his character plays a major
Astop-Ford 6
role, serving as the adult figure of pacifist authority. At times when an

1249 words - 5 pages
excuses for them.Stop accepting the blame! Then, remove myself, and my children, from the enviroment and Stay Out! I had to reprogram my mind, like rebooting a crashed computer. How to over come the fear of society and being able to trust was the most petrifying part and finding an alternative method of correction for my children. Hitting was and IS not an option.I am okay now. I do, occassionally, have nightmares but as soon as I open my eyes

1315 words - 6 pages
Soccer! Why is it something that can shape character as an adult?
It was seven o’clock in the morning on a Sunday afternoon. The sun was already peeking through my window. I could feel the warmth of the sun as it was shining on my face. Lying there, I listened to the sounds that only someone who was up at that time of the morning on a Sunday, could hear. I listened as my neighbors cut their grass. I heard birds chirping, as if they were speaking

619 words - 2 pages
"Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults" is an essay by Laurence Steinberg, which expresses his views of if, when, and why youth offenders should be tried as adults. He compares the juvenile system to the adult system and point out hat the two differ in their respective forms of decision making for treatment or discipline. In the recent past, society has redefined the judicial system for juveniles and is striving to get more youth offenders trued

1837 words - 7 pages
audience as evidence in Brave New World and The Giver.
Throughout the nineteenth century, the increase of technological and scientific development brought to light an idea of utopianism. The effects of technological and scientific development during the nineteenth century on dystopian literature were indirect in the sense that it promoted the idea of utopianism. This idea of utopianism would eventually be the catalyze that promotes dystopian literature

1444 words - 6 pages
currently diagnosed with schizophrenia. The current trend in the treatment of the disease is that heredity plays an important part in its development. If one parent has schizophrenia there is a 12% chance that the child will also be diagnosed. If both parents have it the chances are increased to 39%. If a brother or sister has it the sibling's chances are 8%. With a diagnosed identical twin the chances increase to 47%.As far as neurological causes

Similar Essays

1651 words - 7 pages
subsequent felony after reaching the age of 18, compared to 37 percent who remained in the juvenile system (Satchel).
In conclusion, although many people have their own opinions, the law for trying juveniles in adult courts differs from case to case. It most likely will come down to how the judge tries the delinquent. Some judges might use the three strike method. This method tries the youth as juveniles, but on their 3rd strike they are

1293 words - 6 pages
confirmed AIDS are more than five times higher among those incarcerated in prisons than in the general population of the United States” (Wood, 2014). Abuse whether sexual or physical has long-term emotion and psychological influences on juveniles in adult facilities. Abuse on juvenile stresses emotion distress such as depression, anger, flashbacks, hopelessness, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety

1059 words - 4 pages
Managing Time as an Adult Learner
For most adult learners, it is always a struggle to find the time to sit down and do their day-to-day life work on top of schooling whether it is online or in the classroom. In the following paper, people will be able to see steps that can be taken to help plan out time to do things for class and day to day and get them completed. There will be knowledgeable information on how adult learners can manage time

1847 words - 8 pages
Depression and its negative effects on an older adult
By the year 2045, the number of adults’ ages sixty years and older will increase significantly in comparison to a person who is fifteen years of age or younger (Touhy, Jett, Boscart, & McCleary, 2012). Therefore, a large percentage of people seeking medical attention and support in the future will be the older adult. Presently, there are many health related issues and conditions that plague